


Give Me the Chance to Change

by Crowley_Winchester



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Explicit Language, F/M, M/M, Mild Language, Not A Fix-It, Not Happy, Snarky Loki (Marvel), Sorry Not Sorry, Thor the Dark World - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 23:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15060053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowley_Winchester/pseuds/Crowley_Winchester
Summary: Thor the Dark World AU: Still in prison, Loki is gifted a communication tablet by his mother, and decides to contact the person who has been on his mind; the man he once called brother. However, Loki has wounded Thor more than he knows, and even as the two attempt to repair their relationship, it might just be too damaged to fix. Thor has no intentions of forgetting what Loki had done on Midgard, and Loki has no way of fixing what Thanos broke when he fell from the Bifrost. After all that happened, can the two ever come together again?





	1. Don't Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I have been rather busy taking care of my new puppy lol. Any suggestions you have, for either this fic or future fics you think I should write, please let me know. Heads up, this first chapter is just text-based. I'm trying to gauge interest in it to see if I should continue. Thanks!

Have you forgotten about me, brother? Or is that woman of yours occupying your time so thoroughly that you can't spare even a moment to visit? -LL

Loki. Perhaps I haven't wanted to visit you. -TO

You seem to have made that rather clear. -LL

I don't see why I shouldn't. -TO

Do you truly care so little for me? -LL

((Delayed)) No. I think that if I saw you in prison, I would attempt to break you out. -TO

All the more reason to see me. -LL

I think not, brother. -TO

You would rather leave me to rot in chains alone, then? -LL

((One hour later)) I shall come tomorrow. -TO

Made arrangements with your Midgardian whore, have you? -LL

Don't call her that, Loki. -TO

Oh, my most sincere apologies, your /Majesty/. -LL

Why are you doing this? -TO

Doing what? -L

/This/. You guilt me until I agree to come, and then you mock me. What is it that you want, Loki? -TO

I shouldn't have needed to guilt you in the first place, Thor. -LL

You killed thousands of innocents, Loki, did you expect me to come running to see you? -TO

Thousands of mortals doomed to die regardless. -LL

Not by your hand. -TO  
Not to mention that you stabbed me when I tried to help you. -TO

Does it truly matter whether it would have been by my hand? -LL  
It's not as though I haven't stabbed you before, Thor. Really, you should be used to it by now. -LL

This is why you are lost to me. -TO

((Delayed)) Do you truly believe that? -LL

I don't know what to believe anymore. -TO  
You seem to hate me. -TO

Do I? -LL

Do you? -TO

((Delayed)) I can't. -LL

Then why do you do these things to me? -TO

What /things/, Thor? -LL

I don't know, perhaps betraying me, attempting to murder me? -TO

Nothing personal, I assure you. -LL  
Well, nothing /entirely/ personal. -LL

Damn you. -TO

What would you like me to say? -LL  
That I would be for your forgiveness? For your father's? -LL

No. I just want my brother back. -TO

You want me back in your shadow. -LL  
That was the brother you had. -LL

I want you alongside me. -TO  
Yes, I was a fool in my younger years, and yes, I was cruel to you. -TO  
I just want someone I can trust, and I know I can't trust you anymore, Loki. -TO

You've grown wiser, at least. -LL

For once, I'm asking you to tell me I'm wrong. -TO

What good would proving myself trustworthy do? -LL

((Delayed)) Nothing in your eyes. -TO

And in yours? -LL

Why do you care? -TO

Curiosity. -LL

It would mean much. -TO

Why? -LL

You are my brother. I /want/ to trust you. -TO

As I will be spending eternity in this cell, I don't see what trust would do for either of us. -LL

You wouldn't. -TO

Tell me then, Thor. -LL  
If I tell you you can trust me, what would happen? -LL  
Would it free me? Would it please you? /What/? -LL

You would only mock me if I told you. -TO  
You care about nothing that doesn't directly help yourself. -TO

The only one worth helping is yourself. -LL  
It was selflessness that put me here. -LL

That is a lie, Loki, and you know it. -TO  
You were put in there for going on a rampage and murdering thousands of Midgardians. -TO

Seizing control of Midgard was not my idea. -LL  
Though I doubt that changes much, in your eyes. -LL

Whose idea was it, then? -TO

The tyrant who found me when I fell from the Bifrost. -LL

((Delayed)) What happened to you? You have yet to tell. -TO

It doesn't matter. -LL  
None of it does. -LL

I am sorry, Loki, for what happened, whatever it may have been. -TO  
I shall see you tomorrow. Jane needs me now. -TO

Yes, you must be so /terribly/ sorry for leaving me to be tortured by a madman while you spend your days pining after your whore. -LL  
If she needs you so much, I do not wish to see you. The future Queen of Asgard must have her King's attention. -LL

((Delayed)) I told you not to call her that, Loki, and I meant it. -TO

Would 'slut' better suit her? -LL

What has Jane ever done to offend you so? -TO

The golden son of Odin, obsessed with a Midgardian woman. -LL  
Pathetic. -LL

Then let me be pathetic, I don't care anymore. -TO

I'm sure you don't. -LL

Perhaps I'll even bring Jane with me tomorrow. -TO

You wouldn't dare. -LL

Why wouldn't I? -TO

To gawk at me as though I were a caged animal? -LL

To visit with Mother and Father, Loki. Well, mostly Mother. -TO  
I couldn't imagine the atrocities you would say to her if you met her. -TO

Watch your tongue, Thor. -LL

Tell me I'm wrong. You call her a whore and a slut merely because I choose her company. -TO

I do. -LL  
Because I hate her. Deeply. -LL

Then why must I watch my tongue? -TO

Lest I be inclined to cut it out of your mouth. -LL  
Choose your words wisely when speaking to me of Mother. -LL

So I am not even allowed to mention her name? -TO  
You are acting foolish, brother. -TO

She is the reason Odin kept me from being executed. -LL  
She has ensured I will not go mad of boredom in my cell. -LL  
She has done more than you have, dear /brother/. -LL

Yes, Mother has a heart. More than you have. -TO  
Which is why I think she will take a liking to Jane. More than you have. -TO

More of a heart than you have, as well. -LL  
It will kill you, you know. When your beloved Midgardian dies so quickly. -LL

We're not having this conversation. -TO

It pains you to think about even now, doesn't it? -LL

Loki. I said enough. -TO

It destroyed you to let her go, when you shattered the Bifrost. -LL  
Imagine the pain it will cause you, to watch her die so soon. Perhaps in fifty years, perhaps in a hundred, it will kill you all the same. -LL

/Goodbye/, Loki. -TO

Oh, I really wish I could hate you, Thor, I really do. -LL

If you would like for me not to hate you, watch your tongue. -TO

I will not barter for your love. -LL

All I ask is that you do not insult her at every free moment, is that really such a request? -TO

If you do not speak of her, I will have no need to insult her. -LL

You are hopeless. -TO

Perhaps. -LL


	2. Who Are You Now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the positive feedback! Same as always, any recommendations /please/ comment.

As he promised, Thor did indeed go to Asgard the next day, Jane at his side. After his conversation with Loki, the prince had contacted his mother, asking for the chance to let Jane see Asgard with her own eyes. His mother had, of course, agreed, promising to convince Odin to let it happen for one day. Of course, she succeeded, and at hearing the news, Jane began planning what she was going to wear. Thor recommended something formal, not exactly knowing how to describe his people's attire. While the dress she eventually decided on certainly wasn't Asgardian, the prince couldn't deny that she looked beautiful. From the moment they arrived on Asgard, Jane had an endless stream of questions, her mind attempting to make logical sense of everything before them. It was quite amusing to Thor, but soon enough, their mother greeted them, and the prince passed Jane along. Now, for the hard part of this trip. The smile slipped off of the man's face as he made his way down to the dungeons. Usually, being there brought the Asgardian a great sense of pride, seeing all of the faces he had put away, but today, he had eyes for only one cell. "Brother. It has been some time," Thor greeted as he came to a stop in front of the golden barrier.

Rage was not a new feeling to Loki; he had felt a near-constant rage brewing ever since Thor had returned from his banishment years ago. But hearing that Thor's Midgardian wench was on Asgard, with Odin's approval no less, made him all the more angry, and he had nearly destroyed his cell in a fit of rage. Of course, a simple enchantment concealed the cell's and Loki's true states. He was still more thin, more pale, more weak than he had once been. A good deal of that was Thanos' doing, but Loki disliked the idea of going through that conversation with Thor. The last thing he wanted was the other's pity. So, he kept himself hidden behind a glamour of health, dressed in his typical clothes. Nothing could be out of place. Loki attempted to maintain a neutral expression as Thor walked up to his cell, staring down at the other. "Thor. I doubted that you would come."

"I told you I would come, did I not? I would not lie to you," Thor replied, gazing up at his brother for a moment before glancing around the cell, an eyebrow raised. "I see that Mother has outfitted you with all of the comforts of home. Better for you, I suppose." The man looked at the golden barrier between them, resting his hand against it and sighing. "Tell me, how have you been? I am sorry that I couldn't come sooner. I was busy down on Midgard."

Loki knew perfectly well that he risked Thor leaving, if he insulted Jane again. But try as he might, he couldn't keep from scoffing bitterly when Thor mentioned how /busy/ he had been on Midgard. "I'm sure you have been," he muttered, taking a step back from the barrier, a scowl across his face. He hated that woman, for reasons he himself didn't quite understand. "Tell me, brother," Loki breathed, rather pointedly ignoring Thor's question. "Is she enjoying her time here? Has she marveled at the palace yet? I nearly expected you to bring her down here with you, but oh, you wouldn't want your future bride seeing something as /shameful/ as your brother."

Thor frowned, shaking his head, attempting to not let his anger get the best of him so soon. "Loki. I am not ashamed of you. If I thought you would at least be polite to Jane, I wouldn't mind bringing her to see you. But you have already expressed that your unjustified hatred of her cannot control itself whenever her name is merely mentioned." He crossed his arms, glancing back to the stairs with a sigh. "Jane finds Asgard very beautiful. Mother certainly took a shining to her immediately."

If there was one good thing that came of Loki's rage, he supposed, it was that Thor would not be bringing Jane to meet him. Small blessings. "Odin is certainly ashamed of me. Locking me away, where no one need look at me. And you've always been so keen to follow in your father's footsteps." A spitting image, nearly. Thor had always looked up to Odin, ever since they were children. And even now, after all of Odin's deceit, Thor still adored him. That was something Loki truly hated. "Mother is too kind for her own good," he muttered, nails digging into the hands he had clasped behind his back.

Thor's eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced away to the floor. He remembered what his mother had told him quietly when he arrived; that he would need true patience with Loki if he expected anything good to come of their meeting. "I am still requesting to Odin to get your sentence lessened. When I heard the news...I don't want you to be here, Loki." He looked back up at his brother, a small smile flickering across his face. "I think Mother truly does like her, though. Jane is quite intelligent, which Mother seemed to appreciate."

There was a brief moment of rest, of relief, in which Loki's anger flickered. Thor was advocating for Loki's sentence to be lessened, and Loki believed it. Thor had never been one for lies. But just as quickly as that relief had come, fury washed over him again, and Loki turned his back on his brother, nails digging into his skin so harshly he was afraid they might bleed. It was impossible to keep a neutral facade now, with Thor going on and on about how much their Mother just /adored/ Jane. "I never took you to be one who found intelligence attractive," Loki said easily, before he could stop himself. "I always thought you were much more attracted to good looks. Though, I suppose your wench must fit in there, as well. A whore without good looks is no whore at all."

Thor's smile was wiped off of his face, and his eyes narrowed. "I told you, Loki, to watch your tongue about Jane. Her name doesn't belong in a mouth like yours." The man ran a hand through his hair angrily before rubbing his forehead. /Patience/, like his mother had said, though that had never been in the largest supply for the oldest son. "I am trying to come to you in friendship, brother. Why are you insisting on insulting her?"

"In a mouth like mine," Loki replied, seething. It was only when his rage threatened to consume him and his illusions flickered that the man took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, calming himself enough to keep his magic under control. "I insist on insulting her because you insist on speaking of her," Loki breathed evenly, slowly moving his hands to rub at the welts his nails created. "I would escape from this cell, if only to slit her throat." Perhaps those words were spoken a bit /too/ evenly/. They weren't spoken in a blind rage, so much as they were said as simple fact. Loki hated that woman, more deeply than he had ever bothered to hate a Midgardian.

Thor took a step back in surprise as the room flickered, so quickly that he thought he must have misseen something. Could Loki even do magic within his cell? He wasn't sure. "Loki," he growled, his hands itching to reach out for his hammer, to do /something/. "You say that you hate her, that you would kill her, for what reason?! You have never even met her, and yet, the only thing you care to do in my presence is insult her!" His mother's words of guidance were quickly disappearing as the man glared at his brother through the barrier. "And I hope you know that you would be dead before you even touched her."

At that, Loki's eyes widened. He stopped, face blank once more, as he turned on his heel and slowly approached the golden barrier separating the princes from each other. "Would you kill me, Thor?" Loki asked, voice low, that dangerous curiosity lingering in his tone. "Would you kill me so quickly, if I were to lay a hand on her?" There's a morbid fascination with the idea, yes, but there's also a challenge. A dare. Thor claimed to want friendship, to want peace between them. Would he do what Odin had wanted for Loki in the first place, to protect one Midgardian woman?

Thor's mouth twisted as he stared at Loki, not backing down from the challenge just yet. "If you made the attempt to kill her, I would try to stop you. If you succeeded...I don't know what I would do." The older brother looked away, his shoulders sagging. Was all he wanted really so impossible? Jane and his brother? The universe seemed to will it to never succeed. "I want an answer, Loki. Why do you hate Jane like you do? Each time I have asked you, you have deflected my question, but I want an answer."

The most dark and twisted part of Loki wanted to slit Jane’s throat, simply for the pleasure of finding out what Thor truly would do. He had better reasons to want her dead, of course. But Loki had no intention of so freely divulging that to Thor, no - that would make him so much more weak, so much more vulnerable than he already was. “I have no answer for you,” Loki shrugged simply. He moved closer to the barrier, sitting at the ledge of the cell, as close to Thor as he could possibly be. “No answer I am willing to give.”

Thor’s frown merely went deeper before he leaned against the barrier, sliding down until he was sitting on the steps. “Then I will assume that you don’t really hate her, you just hate me and everyone associated to me. I suppose that is fair enough.” He leaned his head back, looking around at the other cells surrounding his brother’s, before turning his head slightly. “I will ask you, as your brother, to not hurt Jane, if given the chance. Is that too much for you to do?”

Loki desperately wanted to correct Thor. He wanted Thor to know that no, Loki hated Jane. That try as he might, be couldn’t hate Thor. “I do hate her,” he insisted softly, but it was Thor’s words that followed which made him go quiet. He wanted to kill her. Wanted her gone from his life. But Thor was asking now, as Loki’s brother, not to harm her. “…Will you marry her?” Loki asked, not quite having meant to voice such a question. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and if he was to deal with his rage, he needed to know.

“Will I marry her?” Thor sighed, a weak chuckle coming from him as he shook his head. “Even if Father would let me, I don’t know. You were right, earlier. I took more than a thousand years to become a man. It took her thirty. Her life will be gone before I can do anything about it.” The man glanced back to the stairwell, a regretful smile crossing his face. “Even so, she’s one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met.”

Whereas Thor’s words gave him hope at first, they also took that hope away. Loki wanted to believe that Thor had grown wise enough to know that a Midgardian would never be worthy of him, but rather clearly, he didn’t see that as Loki did. He spoke of her so fondly, so lovingly, so affectionately, and it felt as though one of Loki’s own knives was being dug into his chest with each word. “I see.” The most angry, spiteful parts of him wanted to shout at Thor, to tell him to go, to be with the woman he loved so much. But Loki was selfish, and wanted Thor’s company too much for that.

Thor glanced back towards Loki, a small frown crossing his face at seeing the other’s expression. “I hope you know that if we did get married, I would have you there by my side. No matter what else, you are my brother. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smiled comfortingly, resting his hand against the barrier by Loki.

If those words were meant to comfort Loki, they did nearly the exact opposite. He could feel the pain already, just from imagining it - standing by Thor's side, watching him give himself to her. He felt tears well in his eyes, and had to close them to double his concentration on his magic, because he certainly wouldn't let Thor of all people see him break down. He was silent for a few moments, focusing on his illusion, before looking away from Thor. "Go to her," Loki said lowly, unsure that he could keep his magic up with how much emotional stress Thor was placing him under. "I don't want you here." A lie, yes, but Loki had always been good at telling those.

Thor looked like he had been slapped across the face, scrambling to his feet and pressing his hands up against that /damn/ barrier. “Loki, please. I came all of this way to see you. /You/. Don’t send me away. You wanted me to come, and I came.” He looked into the cell with his unintentional puppy eyes, pressing his forehead against the barrier.

Loki didn't reply, merely walked away to the other side.

Thor sighed, pulling away. Why did he even bother trying at all?


	3. Remember Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the positive feedback! Same as always, any recommendations, please comment. We're doing a little bit more of the cute positive Thor we all know and love this chapter.

As Thor pulled away, Loki looked back once more. He scowled at the sight he was met with - at how desperate Thor looked, and how desperately Thor seemed to want Loki to speak with him. "What do you want from me, Thor?" Loki asked, shaking his head. He started fiddling idly with his hands, practically without noticing. "I will not sit here and listen to you speak of how much you love her. I'd sooner slit my own throat."

“I want your company, which is something that is near impossible for you to give willingly anymore,” Thor replied, pulling away from the barrier. “We do not have to speak of Jane, though I will point out that you were the one who mentioned her. Tell me, how has prison been faring? Anyone giving you any trouble?”

Loki chuckled bitterly at the questions, beginning to pace the length of the cell. "Rather difficult for anyone to give me trouble, when I've been isolated." Really, Thor was the first person Loki got to have a conversation with since he'd been locked away in person; his mother would only send projections.

Thor inclined his head in agreement, even as he looked around the other cells. He had no doubt what the prisoners would do to Loki if he wasn’t isolated. “At least Mother has made sure you haven’t gotten idle,” Thor commented, gesturing to the rather lavish cell compared to the ones surrounding it. “Is there anything I can bring you?”

The cell was lavish, yes, but a cage was still a cage none the less. No privacy, no shadows to hide in. Loki hated it so deeply. "No," Loki dismissed easily, because there was nothing Thor could bring him that would make this punishment any less terrible. Any less degrading. Just Thor's company was good enough, but Loki would never admit such a thing aloud. 

Thor glanced at Loki, thinking, before an idea popped into his head. “I shall bring you a book!” he declared, a genuine smile crossing his face. That is what his brother liked, without a doubt and that is what he would give. “Tomorrow, I will. That is a promise.”

Loki barely, /barely/, kept himself from rolling his eyes. It was such a simple-minded thing, but then again, Thor had always been simple-minded. And, really, if Loki was being honest, he would enjoy something to read. "Fine," he dismissed, still playing it off like he didn't find some joy at the idea. 

Thor smiled wildly, and opened his mouth, before a guard came up and tapped him on the shoulder, reminding him that he was requested for dinner in only a short while. The prince deflated at that, but nodded all the same, turning his head to Loki once more. “I must go, brother, but I will be back. I promise.”

Loki's gaze darkened a little when Thor needed to be whisked away, but he supposed it couldn't have been helped. He waved Thor away dismissively, sitting at the edge of his bed, before laying back on it. "Go, then. I'm rather certain your whore requires your attention." It was hard for him not to be bitter.

Thor’s lip curled, but he forced himself not to turn back, his pace leaving the dungeon merely increasing. And they had been doing so well, too. Of course, if his brother wasn't the center of attention, he was bound to have a tantrum. These thoughts continued in Thor's head until Jane came hurrying towards him, and all of the anger melted away. As she started chattering excitedly about everything that she had learned that day, Frigga came towards the pair, a much more reserved form of happiness. Dinner was without Odin, but considering the All Father let Jane come to Asgard at all, Thor could hardly complain. The empty seat at the table continued to make Thor wish it was filled, but instead of him wishing it was filled with his father, he wished it was filled with his brother. Loki should be there with them. Almost as if Frigga could read her son's thoughts, she gave him a comforting smile whenever his attention focused away from Jane and Frigga.

Down below them, Loki was eating his own dinner. It was difficult for the prince to adjust to life in prison, as luxurious as his cell was compared to those of others. For a prince to be served meals like a common criminal was beneath him, and on more than one occasion, he'd refused to eat at all. Tonight was one of those times. Perhaps it would get Thor to pay more attention to him, perhaps it would send Odin a message, something. But he turned his meal away when it came, electing instead to sit against the wall, concentrating on his illusion.

Thor had planned to go back to the dungeon after dinner, but a moment alone with Jane as his mother had some business to attend to had her asking him to just stay with her. When he attempted to protest, saying that he wanted to go see Loki...the conversation turned sour for the blonde very quickly. Jane was very insistent on the Ashamed, Thor trudged back into the room, before throwing on a smile and requesting a celebration. 

It was many hours later by the time Thor managed to slip away, the festivities having died down as the Asgardians grew tired. He carried Jane back to his old room in the palace, smiling gently, before leaving once more. Thor was about to merely walk back down to the dungeon when he stopped, glancing at the door that was next to his. Loki’s room. Cautiously, he opened the door, and his heart /hurt/ as the smell of his brother hit him. It was so comforting to the blonde, a comfort he hadn’t had in a long time. The room was exactly how Loki left it, not even a speck of dust on anything, and Thor grabbed the stack of books on Loki’s nightstand, careful not to disturb anything else. He went back down to the dungeons, a smile on his face, but the smile slipped away when he returned to his brother’s cell. The vision that he had seen for a moment, that he thought he had imagined, was all in the cell where Loki slept. No one awake to maintain the illusion. “Lower the barrier, and raise it when I’m in the cell,” Thor murmured lowly to the guard, who, after staring for a moment, did as he was told. The blonde entered the cell, looking around at the destruction before looking down at Loki, seeing how his bones jutted out in all the wrong places. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Thor set the books down on Loki’s nightstand before sitting down on the corner of the bed, sighing. 

It had become incredibly apparent to Loki that Thor wouldn't be returning to him that evening. Why would he? He was likely too engrossed with his lover to even spare Loki a single thought. Whether to avoid boredom, or pain, or both, Loki thought it best to simply try and sleep. As though that would make any difference. He dreamed of Thor, yes, but that wasn't entirely new for Loki. Even unconscious, he couldn't rid his mind of Thor. Rest, at least, offered him the chance to drop the illusion. It was painful and exhausting, to keep it up all hours of the day. And when he woke, he would put it back up again, in case Thor really did come back to visit him. But Loki was stirred from his sleep when he felt a weight on his bed, and quickly, he cursed himself for not having noticed anyone enter his cell in the first place. It took him a moment to wake fully enough to realize many things - one, that it was Thor sitting on his bed, and two, that Thor could see. There was no point in throwing his magic back up now. So Loki sighed softly, defeated as he slowly sat up in bed. "Thor?"

Thor’s head was in his hands, but when he heard his name, he lifted his head, a small smile crossing his face. “Loki.” He took one of his hands, resting in on top of his brother’s, before his smile turned sad. “Why did you try and hide from me what was happening to you? What did you think was going to happen?” Thor started absentmindedly tracing his thumb along Loki’s hand, his eyes dropping to the movement. “I’m sorry, that this is the fate that has befallen you. But why don’t you want me to help?”

It was only the gentle movement of Thor's thumb rubbing over Loki's hand that kept Loki from pulling away. This was precisely what he'd been trying to avoid. "I don't want your pity," he spat, though his words were much softer than intended, much weaker. This wasn't what he had intended to wake up to, but there was no changing things now. "Because I never wanted you to look at me the way you're looking at me now." Like Loki was a charity case, like he was pathetic and broken and weak and all sorts of other things. "I thought I could keep this hidden from you."

Thor sighed, shaking his head. “Come here, foolish brother of mine.” And, no matter how unwilling Loki was, Thor was stronger, and he pulled the smaller man against his chest, hugging him tightly. “I don’t think I could ever pity someone as strong as you. Caring for you is not the same as pitying you. And that’s what this is; caring for you.” Thor held the unwilling man, rubbing his back and burying his face into Loki’s shoulder shoulder. “I am always going to be here for you, I thought you knew that.”

Loki didn't feel as though he had much of a choice when Thor very much pulled Loki against him, resistance being futile. It was the first time in a very, very long time that he'd been touched, that he'd felt skin against his own, and it nearly made him sob. Thor was always so warm, had always radiated heat, and Loki hadn't realized just how cold he was until he was pulled against Thor's chest. It took him a few long moments to relax, to let the tenseness slip from his muscles, as he rest his head against Thor. "I didn't," he admitted simply, because it was true. He hadn't known that Thor would take care of him, hadn't known that Thor wanted to take care of him. "... I know now."

“Didn’t I promise you that, when we were children? Oh, we might get into fights, I might have to stop you from taking over Midgard. But, at the end of the day, you are still my brother. And I never break a promise.” Thor grabbed a blanket with one arm, fixing it around Loki, muttering how his brother was always too cold. “I’m going to come back with some food, and you’re going to eat it. You always were too skinny, this is just worse,” Thor said, a smile cracking over his face before ruffling Loki’s hair. 

It was /ridiculous/, how easily Thor could make it seem like nothing had happened between them. This was just them, just Thor and Loki, teasing each other like brothers as they always had. For a blissful moment, Loki caught himself nearly smiling, like he wasn't a prisoner, like he wasn't a caged animal. He wanted to live inside of that moment, wanted to pretend that he could have Thor this way forever. He kept the blanket pulled around his shoulders, thankful for the warmth it offered. "You aren't going anywhere," Loki said simply, quietly. "I know you, brother. If you leave now, you'll get distracted. I might not see you back here for months." It was the best teasing that Loki could do.

Thor chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, how little you trust me, brother.” But he stayed where he was, his arms wrapped tightly around Loki, like if he let go, the other would disappear. In all honesty, that fear wasn't ungrounded. “I will do my best to see you, whenever I can. I forgot how good these moments can be between us,” he rumbled, running his fingers through Loki’s tangled hair. “Try and remember them, too, if we end up on opposite sides of the battlefield once more.”

Loki frowned at those words, curling in a little more against Thor without having meant to. It seemed all too real, that they would both end up on opposite sides again - perhaps they had always been on opposite sides. "I doubt I will ever get the chance to see battle again," Loki said simply instead, because being far removed from battle seemed preferable to fighting against Thor again. "Much to your relief, I suspect."

Thor merely shook his head. “I do not believe that you will stay in here as long as our father decreed. Either mother and I will succeed, and you will be released early, or you will escape.” Feeling his brother curling closer to him, he chuckled, adjusting the blanket before continuing to rub Loki’s back. “You always were a great warrior. I just never cared to see it in my younger years. I do not think I could fight like you, and I do not think you could fight like me, but together, we always made the most formidable team. I would love for you to see battle once more by my side.”

Though Loki knew Thor was attempting to comfort him, those were words he didn't expect to hear. Loki was never known in Asgard to be a great warrior, simply by virtue of the fact that Thor was always the stronger, the more active fighter. But to have Thor admit that he thought Loki skilled in battle caught Loki off guard, and he looked up at his brother as though he could find any sign that Thor might be lying to him. "We were always skilled in combat together," he admitted, because it was true. Thor focused on offense, Loki focused on defense. They balanced each other out.

Thor leaned back enough to look at Loki, smiling gently. “You and I make the best team when we work together. There have been far too many times where I would not be here today if you didn’t have my back.” He paused before pressing his forehead against the other’s, sighing. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to gain your trust again, after all I did in my younger years, but know I am sorry for everything.”

"You've always been reckless in battle," Loki hummed in agreement. "Keeping you alive is a difficult task enough." When they had fought together, at least. Things had certainly changed, since then - Loki had, after all, tried to kill Thor twice. It was no small relief to Loki that he had never succeeded. "Will you ever trust me again?" he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral and unwavering, like it was a question of curiosity more than one that Loki was desperate to find an answer to.

Thor thought for a moment before shrugging. “In time, I do not see why not. People change. You and I change. Now, I am merely wary of you. But when you’re back in the world again, having anything up in your sleeve, I will need time to trust you again. But I want to trust you.”

That was better than nothing, Loki supposed. Better than Thor never wanting to trust him again. "When I'm back in the world," he mumbled, shaking his head, far too tired to truly be as angry as he wanted to be. "You're far too optimistic, Thor. If Odin has anything to say about it, I'll die in this cell."

Thor turned his head, looking at the barrier for a long moment, his eyebrows drawn together in thought. “If...Mother and I do not succeed...and our father does not allow you to leave...perhaps I will be forced to intervene.” He ended his statement in a low mutter, his eyes finding the guards that were still watching him before looking down at the man in his arms. He knew what he would choose. 

Loki's brow furrowed for a moment, as he considered Thor's words. Loki had been so very certain that, when it came down to it, Thor would choose his father over Loki every single time without hesitation. Perhaps he was mistaken. "What will you do?" he asked softly - not a 'what would you do', but rather, a 'what will you do.' Odin would never release him, and Loki knew it. 

“I will take you from Asgard, back to Midgard. Jane can take care of you until I can find a better place.” He paused, before adding, “/Only/ if Father doesn’t agree to release you. I still think that we might be able to convince him otherwise.” Thor glanced down at Loki, pulling away and gripping his brother’s shoulders tightly. “I will talk to Jane, but you must promise to be good to her.”

Loki went tense from the moment Thor brought up the Midgardian's name. The idea of staying with her - of her taking care of him - made his skin crawl, and Loki decided then that perhaps staying inside of his cell for years to come wasn't such a terrible thing. He huffed when Thor gripped his shoulders, a slight scowl appearing across his face. "Is slitting her throat considered to be impolite?"

"/Yes,/ Loki. I thought we already had this conversation,” Thor said gruffly, moving away from the other and standing up. “Perhaps it is too much to ask to be polite. But do /not/ hurt her. Don’t make me regret what I am trying to do for you!”

"Your idea of freedom is forcing me to be in the care of that woman," Loki hissed, sitting at the edge of the bed, allowing himself to become angry and spiteful now. "I would rather sit in this cell until my dying day."

“Loki, did I not say it would be a temporary solution?! It will be much easier for me to try and stall them on Asgard with you safe on Midgard. If you would rather stay in this cell, then I will leave at this very moment!” Thor’s nostrils were flaring, and he knew his voice was attracting attention, but he couldn’t give a damn now.

Of course, Loki didn't want that. Of course he didn't want Thor to leave, didn't want Thor to abandon him. But he was so filled with rage, and if Thor wanted to make a scene? So be it. "Leave, then!" he hissed, standing from the bed, even though his frail frame was nowhere near as intimidating as Thor was. "I would rather rot in chains than do so much as look at her."

Thor looked taken aback for a moment before his lip curled. "You are a stubborn fool! Rot here for a few centuries, see if I care!" The blonde walked past Loki, purposely hitting him with his shoulder, before gesturing for the guard to open the barrier again. It opened, and the second Thor was through, it slammed shut behind him. The prince didn't look back, filled with anger and frustration as he was.

Loki grit his teeth when Thor stormed past him, hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. Were his cell not already destroyed, Loki would've destroyed it all over again. Set it ablaze, if he could. But his magic was rather limited to illusions - Odin had been careful about that. Loki threw his illusion back up, wary of the fact that their argument had drawn the attention of others, and it was already humiliating enough for Thor to have seen him like this, let alone anyone else.

Thor stormed upstairs, passing his bedroom and going to a balcony before slamming his fist into the railing, biting back a cry of pain. Why could these things never work out between the two? What did he do wrong? He was nice and kind and he even brought the stupid books- Thor stopped his mental rant as his eyes began to blur, and he wiped away the budding tears with a fist. How did Loki's words always manage to dig so deeply into him? Why did he care so much about the man who wasn't even really his brother?


	4. Old Habits Die Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for some drama, bitches! XP

Thor didn't know how long he stood there, his head in his hands, cursing himself and his brother, but by the time he lifted his head again, the sky was beginning to lighten. Damn it. He had planned with Frigga to leave early this morning, so as not to upset Odin, and Jane was already an early riser to begin with. He didn't have much time, if he wanted to attempt to make amends after what had happened . Thor hurried back down to the dungeons, already back in front of Loki's cell before he realized he had no plan on what to say. After awkwardly standing there for a moment, he murmured, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

It was no small surprise to Loki, to see Thor standing before his cell once more, only hours later. He kept his illusion up, but only made it even grander now: his eyes brighter, his hair better kept, not a single book or piece of furniture out of place. No matter that after their confrontation, Loki had destroyed the cell once more in his rage. He had degraded himself enough for one day. "Back to Midgard so soon?" Loki asked, voice low, a danger to it. "Fine, then. What do I care of your comings and goings?"

Thor looked away, hurt by the sudden change that had happened between them. They had actually been getting along well only a few hours before. Did he even get anywhere with Loki at all, or had it been just another of his brother's tricks? "You hardly need to lie to my eyes as well as my ears. One is quite enough," he said, gesturing to the cell before running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want you to leave thinking I meant what I said in anger. I see now, however, that doesn't matter to you."

Despite Thor's words, Loki kept his illusion up. No more shame was going to come to him today, and he was going to make certain of that. "I know perfectly well that you said what you meant, brother," he said simply, not acknowledging the fact that Thor had taken Loki's words to be true. He couldn't admit otherwise. He couldn't. "You've always been a hotheaded fool."

The carefully recrafted patience towards his brother was gone in an instant. "Can there ever be a moment between us that I don't have to twist your arm to get you to be honest towards me? To get you to believe what I say without insults thrown at me? All I /want/ is-" "Thor?" The man's shout was cut off short as he turned his head with a snap, seeing an all-too-familiar figure coming down the stairs. "Jane, what are you-" "I woke up and you weren't there, so I thought you might be down..." Her voice trailed off, staring at Loki in the cage.

For a moment, Loki softened. Thor had always been the more honest between them, yes, but this was something more. Some admission that Thor didn't hate Loki as much as everyone else seemed to. But Loki was so rarely given good things, and like all good things that came to him, the moment was violently torn away from him too soon; this time, by the sound of a voice. Her voice. In a heartbeat, Loki stepped as close to the barrier as he could, head turned to stare coldly at the woman. If he could've slaughtered her where she stood in that moment, he would have.

Thor saw the change in Loki's posture as Jane came into view, and she saw it too, pressing against the blonde as she stared at the man inside of the cage. "Jane, I think you should go. Jane." But Jane was not interest in what Thor had to say. Instead, her look turned into a glare, and she took a step towards the cell angrily. "You know what, Loki? I hope you do manage to get out of this hell hole, and the only reason I think that is because I want you to get the death you deserve. And I really hope some of the legends on Earth about you are true, because you deserve to suffer for what you did to my planet." "Jane!" Thor warned, pulling her away from the cell and against him, muttering to her to keep her mouth shut, that this was not the place for such anger.

For a few seconds, Loki was silent. It was almost laughable. And, in fact, Loki did smile. It was a dark, twisted, and cruel thing, but Loki's eyes never left Jane for a second. For all that Loki cared, Thor couldn't have even been in the room. "Shall we test that, then?" he asked lowly. "Would you like me freed? I'd very much like to get your blood on my hands, especially." He slammed a hand against the barrier of the cell, breathing a little more heavily now. "I do not regret what I did to your world. In fact, I would do it again. My only regret is not slitting your throat while I hand the chance. But now, I think something slower is called for. Something more painful." 

"/Loki/, enough of this. She is only a child, she does not know what she says." But Thor's words didn't discourage Jane, and she pulled away from the blonde and walked up to the barrier, looking into Loki's eyes defiantly. "You are nothing more than an unruly child having a temper tantrum because he wasn't Daddy's favorite, and decided that the only way he could get attention was by being the bad boy. You're scum, and your brother knows you're scum, and your mother knows you're-" Thor didn't allow Jane to finish that sentence, dragging her back as he ordered her to stop. "I get to say whatever I want to that murderer! To that caged animal you keep in your basement!" she yelled, and pulled herself out of Thor's grip once more. He was /trying/ to not hold her too tightly, to make sure that he didn't break something in his anger, but damn if she wasn't making it hard. The guards were starting to take greater notice, gripping onto their weapons tighter.

Jane could say all she liked about Loki, about Thor. What did he care, what a pathetic Midgardian thought of him? She was weak, would be dead in a matter of years, whether Loki killed her himself or not. Loki was not so easily wounded. Until, of course, she spoke of his mother. It had Loki freezing, had his body tensing, and without meaning to, he shattered the chinaware on his table behind his illusion. Loki took pride in keeping his magic under control, and so rarely was he angry enough to the point where his magic lashed out without him meaning for it to. And this woman was breaking his resolve. "You know nothing of my mother," he growled, teeth grit. "Watch your tongue, whore. Else I might be inclined to cut it out of your mouth."

"You won't tell me what to do! All I need to know is that no mother could love a psychopathic murderer who's own flesh and blood family left him to die!" "Jane!" The raving woman finally stopped, looking up at the seething man next to her. "We are leaving. Now," Thor ordered before grabbing her wrist a little too tightly and dragging her out of the dungeon, dragging her through the palace, much to his mother's concern, and dragging her across the Rainbow Bridge, utterly ignoring her protests until Heimdall had transported them back to Midgard.

Loki was left staring after the two as Thor moved her out of the dungeons, simply standing and breathing, letting the words of a worthless mortal get to him in ways he never expected words to ever effect him. The next few minutes went by in a blur, to Loki. But the next thing he knew, everything in his cell was torn apart, shattered, ruined, the furniture destroyed and the books ripped. Loki sat against his cell wall, blood on his hands from where china had dug into his skin - not everything was destroyed by his magic, he'd recalled. 

"You have the right to be angry at Loki, but I cannot allow you to speak to my brother like that. To put such words in my mouth and my mother's." "But, Thor-" The look the man gave her was enough to make Jane close her mouth, taking a step back. "If I care to contact you again, I will, but until then, leave me be." "Thor-" That look again crossed Thor's face, the look of unmeasurable anger boiling beneath the surface, and Jane took another step back, wrapping her arms around herself, full of shame. With that, Thor lifted his hammer, and went into Asgard once more. 

The prince went back to the dungeons, looking more exhausted than he had when he had first come down to see Loki. Was that merely yesterday? It felt like much longer than that. He was holding a package in his hands, one that his mother, on seeing where he was headed, had given to him. "Open the cell," he ordered, and stepped into Loki's cell, the barrier closing behind him. He looked around at the damage before moving beside his brother, sliding down the wall so they were sitting next to each other. Thor didn't say a word, /knowing/ that if he started talking, Loki would go on about how he was right about Jane, how the blonde was such a fool. So instead, he opened the bag, seeing inside of it was a paste wrapped in leaves. The minty smell gave it away; their mother's favorite balm to use whenever the two had gotten injured as children, Thor much more than Loki. It helped soothe the pain and heal the wound faster. Still quiet, Thor took out the package, swiping some of the paste onto his fingers before gently taking one of his brother's hands and beginning to spread it on the numerous cuts.

Loki sat exhausted against the wall, so spent from his fit of rage that he couldn't even hope to hide himself from Thor. He was bleeding and broken and worn down and pathetic, and he knew it. He didn't have the energy to force Thor away, to spit at him, to shout and scream. Rather, he simply let Thor sit next to him, not entirely sure what he expected Thor to say. The silence was welcome, but Loki didn't even want to turn his head to look at the other. But the scent of their mother's healing balm caught his attention, and he couldn't help but watch Thor spread it onto the wound on his hand. Loki only managed to sit still for a few moments, watching Thor work, before weakly tugging his hand away from Thor and cradling it against his chest. He didn't deserve such loving treatment, especially not from his mother. Perhaps Loki was so enraged by Jane's comments because, in some part, he knew them to be true.

Thor let Loki pull his hand away, sighing somewhat and leaning his head back against the wall. Jean had gone too far, farther than even Thor would ever dream of going with his brother. He let the silence be before turning his head slightly to look at Loki. "I took Jean back to Midgard. I don't believe I'll be choosing to see her anytime soon." Thor looked at the blood on Loki's hands, a feeling of guilt creeping over him. If he hadn't brought Jane to Asgard, if he hadn't let Jean say those things, none of this would have happened. Thor wrapped the paste back up and put it in its bag before leaning over Loki to put it on the floor next to his brother. "I can go, if you would like. I know you prefer time alone."

"No." It was a weak sounding word, and Loki hated it the second he'd spoken it. But he didn't want Thor to go; not when they might finally be on the same page. Not when they might finally make it through without another vicious argument. They'd already had their fair share of vicious arguments for the day. "Have you spoken with Mother, recently?" Loki asked, trying to sound a little more like himself, even if he couldn't look at Thor, even if he was still curled up against the wall in a way that made him seem so small, so fragile. 

"Then I shall stay." Thor shuffled marginally closer to the other so they were just touching before turning his gaze back to the ceiling. "I spoke to Mother yesterday, at dinner and at the celebration. She's doing well. I believe she is trying to prepare herself for our father's Sleep." He paused before glancing back over to Loki. He knew, as well as the other did, that Loki was far closer to their mother than Thor was, just as Thor was far closer to their father. "Has she come down and spoken to you recently?"

There was a moment of rather painful hesitation before Loki spoke again. "Not of late." Loki fiddled with his hands, a nervous habit he'd always had, ignoring the bleeding wounds on them entirely. The more he considered things, the more the words that Jane had spat at him rang true. How could any mother love a monster? Loki had called himself as much, in the past. Odin certainly thought him monstrous. Why would Frigga not? 

Thor watched with growing concern as Loki fiddled with his hands before taking one of his own and resting it overtop to quell the movement. “Loki, I am sure that it means nothing. If anything, blame me. You know that Mother is probably happy enough that we’re voluntarily talking, no? She made you this to make your hands better, didn’t she? I am sure Mother will visit as soon as I am gone again.”

Loki sighed when Thor stilled his hands, but only began to idly play with his brother's fingers instead. There was so much terribly anxious energy inside of him that he had no clue what to do with, and small movements like this were the only way he knew how to cope. "And what if your whore spoke the truth?" he asked, saying it plainly and simply, because there was no point in avoiding it any longer. "What if Mother truly hates me, as Odin does?"

Thor frowned, keeping his gaze on their hands and not commenting on the ‘whore’ this time. Loki had every right to call Jane whatever he wanted for quite some time after that incident. “Mother could never hate you, I promise you that. She has always loved you the most, since we were children. If I am find it in my heart to forgive you, you know that she already has ages ago.”

Frigga had always been the more forgiving, out of everyone. And Loki supposed that if someone as stubborn and hardheaded as Thor could still have some love for Loki, then surely their mother could love him, too. Finally, Loki tipped his head back against the wall, but turned to face Thor the slightest bit, just to look his brother in the eye. "You're rather fond of cruel creatures, aren't you?" If Thor's love for Loki and for Jane was any indication, at least. 

Thor actually cracked a smile at that, shaking his head before turning to face Loki again. “I suppose that, in many ways, Jane is like you. She’s very intelligent, silver-tongued, can make me laugh. You’re more fun when you’re fun, but...” Thor chided himself for almost bringing up New York, not wanting to ruin this moment between the two. “If it will cheer you up, you can tell me that you were right about her. You’re probably dying to.”

Loki shrugged at that, still idly playing with Thor's fingers. But the less tense the situation got, the less anxious Loki became. And, eventually, he still his hands completely, simply locking his fingers through Thor's and keeping their hands in his lap. "I thought it best left unspoken," he hummed simply. "It's far more entertaining to see you come to realize that I was right all on your own."

Thor sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "I am a hotheaded fool, as you said. She was one of the first Midgardians I interacted with after all, and as such, I grew very fond of her very quickly. I suppose that I have never seen her grow that angry." There was already a part of Thor that felt that he spoke too quickly, in too much anger; did he really mean to cast Jane away after one fight that didn't even involve him? "I need to think about everything."

"You should be better accustomed to anger than anyone," Loki pointed out simply. Between Thor's temper and Loki's seething rage, anger was not a new concept to either of them. With a soft sigh, Loki reached for the balm Thor had placed on the floor, starting to apply it to his wounds again. It was terrible enough being in this cell, and he certainly didn't need the added sting on his hands to make matters worse.

Thor rolled his eyes before shaking his head. “Fights between us are full of anger, yes. But you and I have known each other longer than 10 of Jane’s lifetimes. You say things to me that I would punish anyone else for saying. I do not think Jane can say the things she said today to my brother without repercussions.”

There was some sense of deep satisfaction that settled in Loki's chest, knowing that he was allowed to be far more volatile in their fights than anyone else. But the notion of consequences had Loki chuckling bitterly, shaking his head. "And what will you do, brother? Deny her seeing you?" he scoffed. "She only spoke the things your own people wish they had the courage to say to me."

"I do not intend to see her for some time, no," Thor replied, glancing over to Loki at the chuckle with a frown. "And anyone who thinks such things of you doesn't know you, and will not dare to same them to you, unless they want to suffer my wrath. /No/ one should say such things to you, not even Jane. You are here, alive, because there is still hope for you. I won't let them condemn you yet."

"You've let them lock me away. Have I not brought Asgard shame?" he grit, refusing to meet Thor's eyes. Midgard hated him, Asgard hated him. And Loki wasn't naive enough to think otherwise. "You see good where there isn't any, Thor," Loki sighed, rubbing at his sore hands. "Not everyone is as innocent as you."

"Don't blame me for what happened to you. I am trying to get you freed, am I not?" Thor's brows were furrowed, and they furrowed even more at Loki's further comments. "I am not innocent! I have cursed plenty, bedded many, slain many, I have even fought my own brother!" He leaned forward to get a better look into the other's face, a small frown sitting on his own. "How would you describe that as innocent?"

"Because you refuse to believe that there is darkness in the world," Loki breathed, not having intended for this conversation to turn into another argument with Thor. But unfortunately, that was how most of their conversations went these days. "You refuse to believe that there is hopelessness. You're naive, brother. And you refuse to believe that, as well."

Thor opened his mouth, ready to argue, but stopped. He looked at Loki for a long moment before leaning back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe there’s no hope, Loki. Or else I don’t have my brother anymore. And perhaps that makes me naive, perhaps just another fool in your eyes, but you always thought that of me. And I would rather you think me a fool than to have to think of my brother being gone.”

"Did you ever truly have a brother?" Loki asked, but the question wasn't born out of spite. No, it was out of a painful curiosity; a question Loki wasn't entirely certain he wanted the answer to. "Everything we were told as children was a lie. My existence was a lie, Thor. How can you not hate me for that?" Loki certainly hated himself for his true parentage. 

Thor merely smiled sadly, shaking his head. “You never lied to me, Loki. Well, at least not about that.” The blonde chuckled, glancing over towards the other. “If I would hate anyone, I would hate Laufey for abandoning you. I do not blame you for your heritage, and I do not blame Father for saving your life. Besides, I don’t even know what you truly look like. You’ve never been anything but my brother.”

"Saving my life," Loki scoffed, unable to let that comment go. "He took me as a peace treaty. So that one day, I might be able to offer Asgard peace with Jotunheim. What he did was not out of compassion, it was out of selfish greed." Thor could think the world of Odin - really, he always had. But that illusion was gone for Loki, and Loki wanted Thor to understand why. 

Wouldn’t a peace treaty save that many more lives?” Thor asked, before sighing. “Perhaps Father was thinking about more than you when he took you back to Asgard. But that has nothing to do with you. I am starting to think that perhaps you are just looking for reasons to make me hate you."

“You have more than enough reason to hate me,” Loki breathed, almost frustrated by the simple fact that Thor didn’t hate him. “Did I not try to kill you? Did I not try to destroy an entire realm, and conquer another? Have I not done enough to warrant your hate? I’ve certainly earned everyone else’s.”

Thor raised an eyebrow, hearing the frustration in the other’s voice, before smiling gently. “Oh, brother. You did do all of things, yes. But you forget, I’m naive because I’m hopeful. When I saw you on Midgard, when I talked to you, something was very wrong indeed. And you have yet to tell me what happened after you fell off of the bridge. I don’t know what happened to you, but I would like to think that contributed to your actions on Midgard. As for Jotunheim...I had been wanting it destroyed since I was a little boy. You had more reason than I to do what you did. I cannot blame you for that.”

It was destroying Loki, how forgiving Thor was. Even their mother had not been so forgiving, after what Loki had done to Midgard. The mention of all that he hadn’t told Thor made him tense, and Loki pulled his knees up against his chest. “You do not blame me for anything,” Loki corrected, with a frustrated huff. He didn’t want blame, of course. But everyone gave it to him anyway; except, it seemed, for Thor. 

Thor shuffled closer to Loki, wrapping his arm around the other’s shoulders tentatively. “I don’t see why I should. There’s no reason to.” He smiled at the other, squeezing his shoulder. “I have made many, many mistakes. Many of which hurt you. Perhaps, if I had done some things differently, we wouldn’t be here now.” And there it was. The massive amount of guilt that Thor had been carrying since Loki let go at the Bifrost. He didn’t think he would ever be able to forgive himself for his centuries of treatment towards his brother. 

Thor was never one to lie, and he certainly wouldn't have lied about such a thing as this. But Loki still found himself turning to look at Thor, to search his eyes, to see if there was something there, because Loki had never thought he'd hear those words. Thor had always been so proud, so full of himself, with so little regard for anyone else. Perhaps his time on Midgard truly had changed him for the better. "It doesn't matter, now," Loki dismissed softly, because it was as close a thing as he could get to a thank you.

Thor chuckled, squeezing Loki’s shoulder before retracting his arm, still pressed against the other. “I suppose maybe not. I still made the choices I did. But now, we can make new ones. The right ones, together.” The man smiled gently, leaning back against the wall. “And I should start by getting you out of this cage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter, I really tried to analyze that scene we all know in Thor the Dark World where Jane slaps Loki. Considering the severity of the situation, and her still feeling enough anger to take the time and act the way she did, I thought that her anger would only grow with a casual encounter.


	5. You're Better Then I

"Yes, that would be a good start," Loki said simply, as though breaking him out were such a simple task, huffing when Thor pulled his arm away. Really, if he didn't know any better, he would've thought Thor cruel for constantly giving him little pieces of physical affection before taking them away from him again. 

Thor nodded in agreement, glancing around at the guards throughout the dungeon once more. “If you come up with a plan, I can promise you that I will follow it. However, I don’t know how we will manage to leave Asgard with Heimdall.”

"I assure you, if I had come up with a plan, I would be free from here by now," Loki mumbled, somewhat bitterly. At least Thor wanted to see Loki free - that was more than Loki had expected of his brother. "Besides, I know a few ways off of Asgard without the help of the Bifrost."

"I am saying, Loki, that you can start thinking of something that involves me. In case you forgot, I am quite the fighter. Why, I bet that /I/ could think of a plan and have you out of here by today!" Thor beamed, flexing an arm to show his brother the muscles that could be put to use.

Loki rolled his eyes when Thor flexed, because even now, Thor was still so proud of his strength. "By all means then, brother. If you're so very capable of figuring out a means of escape, prove it. Your brute strength cannot solve every problem, you know."

“I can’t think of a problem it can’t solve!” Thor joked, beaming, before glancing up at the guards and quieting down at their stares. “Did I not earlier say we make the best team? Well, let us team up again. You will be freed from this place before you know it.”

"Oh, I'm certain of it," Loki muttered sarcastically, because if he hadn't figured out a plan of escape from this cell yet, Thor couldn't /possibly/ think of one. "By all means, brother. Solve this problem for me."

Thor raised his eyebrows at the other before he grinned, nudging Loki. “Get help’ will get us out of the dungeon. Can your tricks protect you until we can get to the Bifrost? Heimdall won’t be convinced, but perhaps he will listen to me if I ask it of him.”

Loki scowled immediately at the idea. "I am not doing 'get help.'" As if being trapped in a cell wasn't humiliating enough. "Did I not tell you I knew other ways to get off of Asgard? If we can get to a ship, we can use them."

“Come /on/, Loki, do you want to escape or not?” Thor smile grew wider before he wrapped an arm around Loki’s shoulders. “Now or never, no?”

For a few moments, Loki debated whether or not escaping from this cell was worth the embarrassment. But he'd likely never return to Asgard again after this, so he supposed it didn't really matter. "Fine," he huffed, closing his eyes and leaning into Thor's side.

Thor chuckled before standing up, pulling Loki up with him. “Get help! Please, somebody, help! I think my brother is dying!” The golden barrier immediately slid up, and the two guards stationed in the dungeon ran over. “Help him!” Thor shouted as he threw Loki like a doll, hitting the guards full on and making them crash to the ground. Before they could get up, a few punches to the face knocked them out for good. “See? It always works,” Thor said with a smile before helping his brother to his feet. “Come, we must go quickly if we are to leave without alerting the whole of Asgard.”

Loki sighed heavily as he pulled himself up off of the floor. "I still hate it," he mumbled, batting Thor's hand away. He cast an illusion around himself for the sake of maintaining some pride, concealing his prison garb in favor of looking as he always had. "Lead the way," Loki offered simply, casting a very basic vanishing illusion, so as to shield them from the eyes of anyone they might pass on the way to the hangar.

"Whether or not you hate it, you can't argue with its effectiveness," Thor chuckled, leading Loki up the steps and through the mostly empty palace halls. However, when they finally reached the entrance into the grounds, the blonde took hold of Loki's hand tightly, a grip that didn't give room for argument. While a small part of him did think that his brother might run off the second they were free, a much larger part was genuinely concerned for the other's safety, trying to keep him as far from the citizens of Asgard as possible. Thor had no doubt that Loki had cast some sort of spell on the pair, but still. It could never hurt to be safe.

Thor continued in this manner, leading the younger through crowds until they finally reached the hangar. There, he let go of Loki's hand, albeit slightly reluctantly. "What sort of ship do you require for your portals?"

"Oh, any will do, if it's small enough-" Loki's words were cut off as a huge black ship appeared in the sky, the screams of the Asgardians already rising. His eyes flickered to Thor, and he took a step back, shaking his head. "Go to Odin. I...need to go."

"Loki, wait. Loki!" But Thor's brother had already disappeared, making Thor visible once more. He looked around, as if that would help, but there was no trace of Loki. Cursing wildly, Thor swung his hammer, flying through the air to the throne room to help his father. This is why he should never trust Loki. Disappears at the first sign of trouble. A coward to the core.

While Thor had only seen the black ship in the sky, Loki's eye had also caught a shuttle landing close to his mother's quarters. Too close to be a coincidence. The frost giant was sprinting through the city, sprinting through the halls of the palace, praying that he wasn't too late.

"Thor, where have you been? No matter, we are under attack! Get your mother and take her downstairs before joining the troops!" Odin ordered as Thor landed in the throne room. The All-Father was standing on the balcony, staring up at the ship and shaking his head. Those types of ships were supposed to be destroyed, and whatever reason they are here now couldn't be a good one.

As Loki approached his mother's quarters, his steps growing slower so as not to be heard, the sounds of knives echoed through the halls. He went to the open door, and saw the /thing/ that had been his cell mate approaching Frigga, her back turned to him. "Mother, look out!" Loki shouted as he ran into the room, dropping the invisibility illusion while springing over the shoulder of the creature, daggers drawn. "Run!" he ordered, beginning to fight, and Frigga let a small prideful smile cross her face before she disappeared in a flash of green light.

"Odin, we must go. Now, Loki is in danger!" Frigga said sharply, appearing next to her husband and grabbing his forearm urgently. Odin looked up with a frown, nodding once, before the pair disappeared in the green light.

"Let me guess, boy. You don't know where the Aether is being held?"

"I'll never tell you." Loki had lost the battle he had entered quickly, but the point of that hadn't been to win. It had been to make sure his mother was safe, and he had accomplished that goal. Held tightly against the armoured beast, he stared at Malekith defiantly, his nose slightly curled in disdain.

Malekith looked over Loki once before nodding. "I believe you." And Loki didn't even have the time to give a retort back before a cry of pain slipped out, the sword sliding through him.

"No!" Malekith barely looked towards the source of the scream before a bolt of lightning hit his face, causing him to fall to the floor. Thor ran into the room, throwing his hammer once, twice, but both times, too slow for it to matter. The man stared up at the blank sky where the ship had been, his chest heaving, before turning back to his brother on the floor. He walked down the steps, falling to his knees, pulling Loki up into his lap. "Come on, Loki, just hold on. A medical team will come for you soon enough, yes?"

"Nobody will believe you. We've already done 'get help' once today, haven't we?" The brothers chuckled, Loki with much less tears than Thor. "Why are you crying? Don't cry for me. Save your tears for the ones you love," Loki soothed, his smile looking like a jagged cut across his face. He attempted to reach up to Thor's face and brush the tears away, but the pain in his torso just caused him to gasp and let his hand fall limp.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one out of the two of us. I've always loved you, Loki, no matter what you've done to try and convince me otherwise." There were so many tears that Thor could barely see the man in his lap, but he just kept blinking them away, trying to hold back his sobs. "Just hold on."

But they both knew it was too late for Loki. Already, his blood was beginning to soak through Thor's clothes, though the blonde couldn't care less. "Thor." His breath was becoming more shallow, brow furrowed in concentration, and he reached up, wrapping his hand firmly around the front of Thor's clothing. "I...I'm scared." Loki's voice cracked, and he closed his eyes, taking a shuddering breath, before opening them. "Just...remember...I...always...loved..." The hand fell, going limp, and Loki's body shimmered once, his Jotun form visible. Then, silence. No raspy breath, no smart-assed comments. Nothing, except a tiny Frost Giant staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Wake up, Loki, wake up now. This is a cruel joke, but I promise I will forgive you if you just wake up. I promise." There was no answer, and Thor began to sob harder, curling over the one he had been too blind to see truly in his younger years, and was now too old to do anything. Older than Loki would ever be. Thor pressed a shaky kiss to Loki's lips, feeling the cold flesh and his heart snapping in two. He didn't know how long he knelt there, rocking Loki in his arms, but when he finally looked up, he saw his parents standing in the doorway of the room. Odin, looking down at the floor, stonefaced, and Frigga, sobbing silently. They had come late to do anything but watch.

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Thor had been given the honour of using the staff for the funeral procession, but it felt more like a burden on him. Loki's boat sailed past him, and all he could was stare, to fight the urge to just on it before letting the burning arrows fly. What was the point of it all, without the one who made it worthwhile?

He gave the order to let the first arrow fly, and the rest of the arrows followed after that. Even now, there was the tiniest hope that Loki would sit up and jump off of the burning ship, and come up, all smirks and laughs. But there was only the crackling of flames. Thor could do nothing but watch as Loki sailed over the edge of the waterfall before fading into the stars in the sky above them. He could almost imagine Loki whispering in his ear, "At least I didn't fall off this time," and the prince almost smiled. Almost.

After the ceremony was complete, the staff back in Odin's hands, Thor disappeared back into the palace, making his way through the halls that he knew like the back of his hand, but somehow, Loki was always better at going through them. He was about to go into his bedroom when his eye caught the door next to his. A moment passed before the blonde sighed, and opened the door to Loki's room once more. He looked around, at all that his brother had had in the world, before looking to the floor. Slowly, Thor opened the drawers, finding an old green cape that still smelled like Loki, and held it tightly against his chest, laying down on Loki's bed. This was all he would ever have of Loki. Memories. Too tired to cry, Thor pressed the cape against his face and let his eyes close, dreaming that Loki was sleeping beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry for the extreme delay. I must have rewritten this chapter four or five times until deciding on this ending. Not sorry for how it ended lol. Thanks for the support throughout!


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